TVHCM 15

Chapter 15 — Withdrawal

The first survivor settlement established in Lin City was called “Hope.”

Its earliest residents were the first wave of people who had escaped the city alive.

Among them were Chu Ming and the group he had brought with him.

Because Chu Ming possessed an ability—and an offensive-type one at that—his status among the survivors was naturally high. No one dared provoke him. And the people who followed him, even those without abilities, lived far better lives than ordinary survivors.

Precisely because of that, everyone in the fledgling team centered around Chu Ming carefully catered to him. No one dared cross him.

The names “Li Chen” and “Mo Chu” had become forbidden topics within the group.

Chu Ming had always been moody and unpredictable, so everyone was used to his temper. But today, something about him felt even darker than usual, to the point that the entire team sat in terrified silence.

In the suffocating stillness, Chu Ming suddenly spoke.

“The rescue team that went to Lin City should be back today, right?”

The man closest to him jolted in shock. Cold sweat slid down his back as he answered cautiously, “Y-Yes… judging by the timing, they should return today.”

Chu Ming let out a cold snort.

“Then tell me—do you think they’ll bring Mo Chu and the others back too?”

The man’s hand trembled violently. His chopsticks clattered to the floor.

“I-I don’t know…”

Chu Ming frowned in disgust.

“Useless trash.”

Seeing that he was about to lose his temper again, another man quickly jumped in to smooth things over.

“Of course they won’t bring them back! How could they? Those two are probably already dead. Without Brother Chu, one cripple and one woman—how long could they possibly survive?”

Chu Ming narrowed his eyes, impossible to read. Then he laughed softly.

“I actually hope they’re still alive. Hope the rescue team really does bring them back.”

No matter how arrogant Li Chen had been back then, once he returned here, wouldn’t he still end up in Chu Ming’s hands?

And Mo Chu…

Back then, she had looked down on him. She would rather leave with a cripple than stay by his side.

If she fell into his hands this time, he had plenty of ways to make her kneel and beg.

Just thinking about it made something vicious and ugly stir inside him.

So you two had better survive long enough to come back alive.

Chuckling to himself, Chu Ming stood and strode away, leaving everyone behind exchanging uneasy looks.

…What exactly did that mean?

The man who had spoken earlier glanced toward Qin Xue in the crowd. His eyes shifted cunningly as he plastered on a flattering smile.

“Qin Xue, why don’t you go check on Brother Chu?”

She startled immediately and snapped, “You—”

The man laughed.

“Come on now, don’t be shy. Everyone in the team knows Brother Chu’s interested in you. If you go after him, that’s obviously different from the rest of us doing it.”

Qin Xue hesitated.

Ever since leaving Lin City, everyone could tell Chu Ming was interested in her. But at the same time, there was always this strange distance about him, as though he was never truly close.

Qin Xue knew perfectly well why he was interested in her.

And because she knew, it disgusted her.

Why should she lower herself to accept a man Mo Chu had rejected?

But today, hearing that the rescue team was returning, a sudden fear rose in her chest.

If Mo Chu really came back alive with the rescue team…

Would Chu Ming still spare her a second glance?

Would she still be able to live comfortably without struggling for food like she did now?

After a long moment of hesitation, she finally gritted her teeth and chased after him.

If Mo Chu really returned…

Then she wouldn’t have even the slightest chance left.

She would end up like everyone else—working herself to exhaustion for a single meal, forced to face those horrifying, disgusting zombies head-on.

She had to seize this opportunity before Mo Chu came back.

Meanwhile, Chu Ming headed straight for the gates of the settlement.

He had arrived at just the right time. The rescue convoy was returning with the first batch of survivors.

His gaze swept across the dense crowd.

No Mo Chu.

Mo Chu was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Even among thousands of people, she would draw attention instantly.

But this time, he didn’t see her.

Then again, a woman traveling with a cripple—could they really have survived?

For a moment, disappointment filled him.

Then came satisfaction.

Back then, you looked down on me so much.

And now?

Didn’t you still die in Lin City alongside that cripple?

This was the price of defying him.

What a waste, though.

Such a beautiful face.

As Chu Ming basked in that lofty sense of regret, he suddenly heard someone mention the name “Mo Chu.”

His heart skipped.

He turned immediately.

It was a platoon leader he had met once before. The man was speaking animatedly with someone nearby, excitement written all over his face. And in nearly every sentence, the name “Mo Chu” appeared again and again.

A bad feeling rose abruptly in Chu Ming’s chest.

His expression darkened almost instinctively, but he quickly forced a bright, easygoing smile back onto his face before walking over to join the conversation.

The platoon leader recognized him and greeted him enthusiastically, clapping him on the shoulder.

Chu Ming subtly avoided the touch and asked casually, “I heard you mention someone named Mo Chu?”

The platoon leader blinked.

“You know Mo Chu?”

Chu Ming smiled. “I have a friend by that name. Very beautiful girl.”

The platoon leader burst out laughing.

“Then your friend is incredible!”

Chu Ming’s heart sank harder. That ominous feeling became overwhelming.

He forced his smile to remain steady.

“How so? I remember Mo Chu being pretty gentle and fragile. Don’t tell me she actually helped you guys with something?”

The platoon leader’s eyes widened instantly.

“Gentle and fragile aren’t the same thing! That girl really is gentle with people, but fragile? Not even close! If it weren’t for her, we might’ve suffered massive losses this mission!”

Then Chu Ming listened as the platoon leader excitedly recounted everything Mo Chu had done during the rescue operation.

Every word was filled with admiration.

No—more than admiration. The man practically revered her.

Chu Ming almost lost control of the smile on his face.

How could that possibly be Mo Chu?

How could that be the same timid, weak, helpless woman who had once depended entirely on others to survive?

But the platoon leader’s next sentence shattered the last of his denial.

“Do you also know someone named Li Chen? He was with her. That guy’s incredible too! His fire ability pinned down a second-rank zombie in an instant! Ah, if they hadn’t insisted on leaving, I definitely would’ve recruited them into our settlement!”

The words hit Chu Ming like a thunderclap.

In an instant, every trace of luck, pride, and self-satisfaction inside him shattered apart.

It felt as though he had become that powerless ordinary man all over again.

Li Chen… hadn’t died?

Not only had he survived—he had awakened an ability?

And the Mo Chu who repeatedly saved the rescue team…

The powerful Li Chen the platoon leader couldn’t stop praising…

Were they really the same people he knew?

It felt like someone had slapped him viciously across the face.

The smile finally vanished from his expression altogether.

After hastily making an excuse to leave, he turned and walked away quickly.

The moment his back faced them, his expression twisted into something hideous as a ghost.

But someone else had been even more shaken than him.

Hidden nearby, Qin Xue had overheard everything.

Mo Chu… hadn’t died?

Even Li Chen—the man she thought Mo Chu had doomed herself trying to save—was still alive?

Thinking about the fear and anxiety she had endured following Chu Ming these past days…

Thinking about the “battle goddess” they described with such admiration…

Thinking about the powerful Li Chen standing beside her…

A violent surge of jealousy and resentment churned inside Qin Xue until it nearly drove her mad.

Why?

Why could Mo Chu still turn things around after falling so low?

Why was fate so unfair?

Why?!

That night, Chu Ming smashed everything he could get his hands on inside the team’s room. He looked like a raging demon, terrifying everyone into silence.

And meanwhile, Qin Xue’s room remained unnervingly, deathly quiet.

…

On the other side, after the rescue team departed, Mo Chu—who had successfully secured a military jeep from them—did not immediately leave Lin City.

The very next day after the evacuation, the two of them began hunting in the now completely abandoned city.

That’s right.

Hunting.

Zombies preyed on humans for flesh and blood.

So humans could hunt zombies for crystal cores.

Most of the zombies in the city were still only first-rank. This was the perfect opportunity to rapidly gather crystal cores.

Once zombies generally evolved into second-rank creatures, the entire city would truly become a kingdom of the dead. Without large groups of ability users traveling together, humanity would never again be able to approach the cities that once belonged to them.

Mo Chu’s idea was undeniably bold.

But when she brought it up to Li Chen, he showed no surprise whatsoever.

After thinking for a moment, he even seemed rather supportive of it.

Mo Chu could only sigh inwardly.

As expected of the future Demon King of the apocalypse.

And through this hunting plan, she finally witnessed the true power Li Chen possessed after awakening his ability.

At first rank, Li Chen could only shape his flames into thin lines for combat. Those lines weren’t physical ropes, though, and powerful zombies could easily break free.

But while zombies could escape the fire lines…

They could not escape the flames themselves.

The crimson fire possessed terrifying adhesion. Once even a tiny spark touched something, it would burn relentlessly until nothing remained.

It carried a ruthless, domineering force—as though it would never stop until it had devoured everything in its path.

And in Li Chen’s hands, it became the deadliest weapon imaginable.

Most of the time, he simply stood above the battlefield, controlling the flames from a distance while coldly watching zombies struggle and howl inside the inferno.

Then, only after everything had been reduced to ash, would he calmly step forward to retrieve the glittering crystal cores left behind.

After watching several times, even Mo Chu found herself speechless.

Then she brought Xiao Jin along and charged straight into the middle of Li Chen’s flames, targeting the tougher zombies that were still barely alive despite being engulfed in fire.

Li Chen had been standing above, overseeing the battle.

The moment he saw Mo Chu dive into the flames with Xiao Jin, his heart nearly stopped.

He immediately withdrew the fire, leapt down from above, and hauled both her and Xiao Jin out by force.

Mo Chu was still dazed after being dragged out, completely confused about why he had reacted so strongly.

Looking at her bewildered expression, Li Chen rarely showed a trace of anger.

Even so, he suppressed it and said through gritted teeth, “Can’t you see how dangerous those flames are? What if I accidentally hurt you?”

Of course Mo Chu understood that.

But the way she thought about it was entirely different from him.

Frowning slightly, she replied, “I know. But we’re teammates now. I need to cooperate with you in battle. Your fire can’t burn everything instantly, and there are always zombies that survive. If nobody finishes them off, that’s dangerous too.”

Li Chen paused.

Some of his anger faded, but he still frowned.

“Then you should’ve told me first so I could coordinate with you.”

Mo Chu shook her head.

“Your ability is stronger than mine. There’s no reason for you to adjust yourself around me. If you deliberately try to accommodate me, it’ll only restrict your fighting. It’s better for me to adapt to you instead.”

That was simply how Mo Chu thought.

Maximize the efficiency of battle.

Everything existed solely for the sake of victory.

A mindset perfectly suited for the apocalypse.

Li Chen stared at her silently for a long time.

That night, he absorbed his very first crystal core.

If he couldn’t stop her from risking herself…

Then he would simply become stronger.